John Hanning Speke
1827–1864 · British (Devon) · Victorian Era
Known for: Discovered Lake Victoria and correctly identified it as the source of the Nile—solving geography's greatest puzzle
Speke was a British Indian Army officer and big-game hunter who accompanied Burton on two African expeditions. While Burton was ill at Tabora, Speke marched north alone and discovered the vast lake he named Victoria—the source of the Nile.
Burton violently disagreed, sparking one of Victorian England's most bitter feuds. Speke returned and found the Nile's outflow at Ripon Falls, largely proving his case. He died of a gunshot wound—officially a hunting accident, possibly suicide—the day before a planned public debate with Burton.
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